Identification and Characterization of the MIKC-Type MADS-Box Gene Family in <i>Brassica napus</i> and Its Role in Floral Transition
Increasing rapeseed yield has always been a primary goal of rapeseed research and breeding. However, flowering time is a prerequisite for stable rapeseed yield and determines its adaptability to ecological regions. MIKC-type MADS-box (MICK) genes are a class of transcription factors that are involve...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/8/4289 |
| Summary: | Increasing rapeseed yield has always been a primary goal of rapeseed research and breeding. However, flowering time is a prerequisite for stable rapeseed yield and determines its adaptability to ecological regions. MIKC-type MADS-box (MICK) genes are a class of transcription factors that are involved in various physiological and developmental processes in plants. To understand their role in floral transition-related pathways, a genome-wide screening was conducted with <i>Brassica napus</i> (<i>B. napus</i>), which revealed 172 members. Using previous data from a genome-wide association analysis of flowering traits, <i>BnaSVP</i> and <i>BnaSEP1</i> were identified as candidate flowering genes. Therefore, we used the CRISPR/Cas9 system to verify the function of <i>BnaSVP</i> and <i>BnaSEP1</i> in <i>B. napus</i>. T0 plants were edited efficiently at the <i>BnaSVP</i> and <i>BnaSEP1</i> target sites to generate homozygous and heterozygous mutants with most mutations stably inherited by the next generation. Notably, the mutant only showed the early flowering phenotype when all homologous copies of <i>BnaSVP</i> were edited, indicating functional redundancy between homologous copies. However, no changes in flowering were observed in the <i>BnaSEP1</i> mutant. Quantitative analysis of the pathway-related genes in the <i>BnaSVP</i> mutant revealed the upregulation of <i>SUPPRESSOR OF OVEREXPRESSION OF CONSTANS 1</i> (<i>SOC1</i>) and <i>FLOWERING LOCUS T</i> (<i>FT</i>) genes, which promoted early flowering in the mutant. In summary, our study created early flowering mutants, which provided valuable resources for early maturing breeding, and provided a new method for improving polyploid crops. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |